UN-OIC Cooperation
Expected Council Action
In July, the Council is expected to hold a briefing under the agenda item “Cooperation between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations”, focusing on the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister, Ishaq Dar, is expected to chair the meeting. OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha and a UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) official are the anticipated briefers.
Background and Key Recent Developments
The OIC is an intergovernmental organisation established in 1969 following a meeting in Rabat, Morocco. It comprises 57 members from across the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas—all of which are UN member states except for Palestine. The organisation serves as a platform for cooperation on political, economic, cultural, and social issues affecting countries with significant Muslim populations. Headquartered in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, its mandate includes promoting coordination among member states, advocating for the rights of Muslim communities, and supporting peace, development, and humanitarian efforts. The OIC has held permanent observer status at the UN General Assembly since 1975 and engages with various regional and international organisations, including the UN, the African Union (AU), the European Union (EU), and the League of Arab States (LAS).
Chapter VIII of the UN Charter envisions a role for “regional arrangements”. The Council has convened briefings on multiple occasions to discuss cooperation with regional and sub-regional organisations, consistent with its mandate to strengthen such partnerships. For instance, the Council has held annual briefings on EU-UN cooperation since 2010, except for the years 2012 and 2018. Council members have also held annual consultative meetings with the members of the AU Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) since 2007. In addition, the Council has convened debates and briefings on cooperation with other organisations, such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the LAS, and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
On 28 October 2013, Azerbaijan convened a high-level debate on cooperation between the UN and the OIC, during its Security Council presidency. This was the first Council meeting specifically dedicated to examining the UN’s relationship with the OIC. The session included briefings by then-UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and then-OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu, among others. Following this meeting, the Council adopted a presidential statement acknowledging the continuing dialogue between the UN and the OIC in the fields of peace-making, preventive diplomacy, peacekeeping, and peacebuilding. The statement also took note of the commitments of both organisations to foster a global dialogue for the promotion of tolerance and peace and called for enhanced cooperation to promote better understanding across countries, cultures, and civilisations.
On 17 November 2016, during Senegal’s presidency, the Council held a briefing on cooperation between the UN and the OIC, focused on enhancing the existing strategic partnership in countering extremist ideology. (For background and more information, see our 16 November 2016 What’s in Blue story.)
Over the past several years, the OIC has expressed positions on various situations on the Council’s agenda, particularly those relating to Muslim-majority countries. For instance, the OIC has long advocated for the establishment of a sovereign, independent, contiguous Palestinian state based upon the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. The Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit on Gaza, held on 11 November 2023, formed a ministerial committee to advance efforts for an immediate ceasefire to the Israel-Hamas war, the delivery of humanitarian aid to all areas of the Gaza Strip, and the initiation of practical steps toward the implementation of the two-state solution. In addition to its engagement on Middle East-related issues, the OIC has also been active on a range of other country situations, including Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Libya, Mali, Myanmar, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.
The UN and the OIC have held biennial general meetings as part of a structured effort to strengthen institutional cooperation. The most recent meeting was held in July 2024 in Astana, Kazakhstan with a particular focus on enhancing political cooperation, advancing economic and scientific collaboration, and supporting cultural, social, and humanitarian initiatives relevant to OIC member states.
Key Issues and Options
The key issue for the Council is how to strengthen cooperation between the UN and the OIC in addressing conflicts and advancing peace in regions with significant Muslim populations. Relevant situations in this context include Libya, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen, as well as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the recent hostilities between Iran and Israel.
During the briefing in July, Council members could take stock of the existing collaboration between the two organisations and explore avenues for deepening this cooperation, with a focus on preventive diplomacy and conflict resolution. Members may encourage discussion on how the UN system could draw on the OIC’s comparative advantages in these areas. The briefing could also provide a platform for both organisations to reaffirm their commitment to countering terrorism and preventing violent extremism, and identify practical avenues for strengthening their joint efforts. The Council may further consider how the OIC’s institutions could contribute to advancing shared objectives in peacebuilding, humanitarian assistance, and the promotion of human rights.
One option for Council members could be to adopt a presidential statement reaffirming the importance of strengthening cooperation between the UN and the OIC in maintaining international peace and security.
Council and Wider Dynamics
It appears that Council members are generally supportive of the initiative to hold a briefing on the UN’s cooperation with the OIC. Members that are also part of the OIC—such as Algeria, Guyana, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, and Somalia—are particularly likely to underscore the importance of strengthening institutional cooperation and fostering partnerships in areas such as conflict prevention and mediation. Russia has maintained an observer status within the OIC since 2005.
Differences in political alignments and priorities among Council members may influence the substance of discussions on specific contexts. For instance, the OIC supports a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and has condemned Israel’s military operations in the Gaza Strip following the 7 October 2023 attacks by Hamas. The US, on the other hand, is a key ally of Israel on the Council and has continued to extend its significant political and diplomatic support. In addition, the OIC condemned US attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities in June, while several European members supported them. Another area of divergence is the OIC’s political backing for the Turkish Cypriot community, which has held observer status in the OIC under the name “Turkish Cypriot State”. In contrast, the EU strongly supports the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence of the Republic of Cyprus and opposes recognition or assistance to what it considers a “secessionist entity”.
| Security Council Presidential Statements | |
| 28 October 2013S/PRST/2013/16 | This presidential statement acknowledged the continuing dialogue between the UN and the OIC in the fields of peacemaking, preventive diplomacy, peacekeeping and peacebuilding. |
| General Assembly Documents | |
| 18 November 2024A/RES/79/9 | This was a resolution on cooperation between the UN and the OIC. |
